


Beasts of the Zodiac

by LovelaceLog



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fantasy Chinese AU, Gabriel's A+ parenting, Why is everybody Magic?, miraculous lore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:41:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22468057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovelaceLog/pseuds/LovelaceLog
Summary: Minister Gabriel Agreste rules and possesses almost everything in this seaside city.   But enough is never enough.  Under his father’s orders, Adrien sets out to search for a set of gems and returns with an Aura.  As a result, Marinette is forced to navigate the politics and secrets of the Papillon Palace.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 3
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

Ladybugs have a defense mechanism, in which they bleed from their knees whenever stressed, the hemolymph repulses its enemies. And Marinette Dupain-Cheng was _stressed_.

Ruby drops dripped onto her hand, and immediately she pinches her nose. Weaving a trail through the fallen cherry blossoms, Marinette runs out of the pagoda. _It’s the perfect excuse right!? That’s right! I need to excuse myself!_

Luka chases after her. The cold spring air scratched against his lungs. “Marinette! It’s okay! It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

The serpent miraculous wielder breathlessly chuckled at her antics. She’s always had really bad nosebleeds. He was used to them. All of a sudden, she had become a lady with wiles to drive him mad.

Nonetheless, Marinette cannot bring herself to stop and face the music. His song to her still rang in her ears, “ _You are an extraordinary girl, Marinette. Clear as a music note, sincere as a melody. You have been the song I hear in my head since we first met. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”_

That was his promise to her. A promise of courtship.

It wasn’t that she did not find him an attractive suitor. No, he was tall, dark-haired, and as handsome as they came. She loved listening to his voice and the songs he had just written. He would play his songs, while she painted or sewed. He was one of her oldest friends, Juleka’s brother, and a long time crush of hers. So she should accept the courtship. A selfish part of her wanted to. 

But she knew his little secret. He was Viperion, an assassin for the Minister.

Who he worked for was everything she stood against. It would never work out. She was Multimouse, and Luka could never find out. And yet…

 _She missed him._ The blood pooled back from her sinuses and into her mouth. It made her nauseous.

Finally, she slowed down and gulped down a bitter mouthful of blood. “L-Luka? I’m so sorry, I’m not ready.”

“Then, I’m willing to wait, _My Melody_.”

o.o

o.o.o

o.o

At the Wang Fu Opera House, Luka had introduced Adrien to the mystery lady. 

She was nursing a nosebleed.

First she spilled tea all over his robes, then, she bled all over him. To add to his aggravation, she refused to be escorted to Papillon Palace with Luka. There would be no courtship.

“I’m s-so-so-so sorry, Adrien!” Flailing her arms in an oversized pink hanfu, she squeaked out a mousey apology. She was so clumsy, and the more she tried to fix it, the more she felt small as a person—and the clumsier she got.

“It’s not a big deal.” He offered, but the annoyance seeping in his tone was obvious.

 _Love is blind, after all._ Adrien scoffed. It was no big deal.

It was no big deal that Luka begged Adrien for a mission in the countryside of Pingdu. It was no big deal, really, that Adrien prepared mountains of paperwork, in order for Luka to see Marinette. Adrien had presented enchanted wheat to his father, Gabriel, in order to have the mission approved. 

Wielding MIraculouses was a dangerous job. One day you're here, the next day you're dead. To Adrien, the people who fought alongside him were his family. He had to pull a lot of strings in the fabric of royal politics for Luka to be here. He felt scorned on behalf of Luka.

To a lot of people Luka was just wandering songwriter. But in the team of Hawkmoth's Miraculous wielders, Luka was Adrien's only true rival. Luka was calm, and perceptive, and a natural leader. However, as Hawkmoth's son, the leadership position went to Adrien. Perhaps it was his snake-like nature, Luka chose to lay under the radar. He never contested Adrien as the squad leader, he only stepped in when need. 

Adrien had the uttermost respect for Luka. Meanwhile, Marinette probably rejected Luka for his less-than-wealthy background. It irked him.

“Marinette, its fine, just take care of yourself first. We got it.” Luka ushered Marinette out of the dining room.

Once the little lady left, Adrien said exactly what he thought. “I don’t know what you see in her.”

“I already told you.” Luka said with a content smile. 

Adrien shook his head. Luka had went on and on about a sassy, sophisticated, and passionate lady. But all Adrien saw was a girl who did not know what she wanted. A girl who had clumsily broken his close friend’s heart. 

But it wasn’t Adrien’s place to judge. So, he returned to focusing on what he came for.

The _**multitude**_ of wheat produced by Pingdu compared to other districts was abnormal. Adrien knew his father Gabriel sought after the missing Miraculouses. The mouse miraculous held the kwami Mullo, a field mouse. If the miraculous of multitudes was lost or hidden somewhere in the soil of Pingdu, it would account for the energy coursing through the crops.

By Adrien’s assessment, the whole situation between Luka and Marinette was helpless. But his instincts had been right. The Mouse Miraculous is close to him, he knows it. He is the Cat Miraculous wielder after all.

o.o

AN:It's not super polished but I can go back and edit later. That awkward moment when you're in college and working a full-time job and have homework and taxes but also want to write a 100K word fanfic. Lol. Fuck my life.

Canon Adrien offends Marinette. Fic Marinette offends Adrien. 

I just wanted to play with the idea of perceptions. Luka's perception of Marinette vs. Adrien's perception of Marinette. Marinette's perception of herself. Also, I really like Miraculous Lore and how the Miraculous's came into being, and how they might have behaved in earlier times compared to modern times.


	2. Chapter 2 Anarka's Song

Beasts of the Zodiac

Chapter 2 Anarka’s Song

o.o

_Casting her legs off the cliff of the ravine, she marveled at the name she chose for herself. **Anarka**._

_As the 12th adopted sister in the witch coven of Couffaine, she never had a name, they just called her Twelfth or Youngest One. How novel was it that commonfolk chose names with different meanings for themselves? It felt so special._

_From now on, she was Anarka. Someone who lives without a ruler._

o.o

_For her sixteenth birthdate, the coven sisters had brought her a man. To resurrect a dead sister, one had to use up a life. It was too cruel. And well, Anarka had ended up teleporting him out instead. He was a funny one. He called himself Jagged Stone. Really who calls themselves that?_

_Jagged was the one who taught her the idea of naming herself. Later, the witch would learn how ridiculous and bizarre her name would sound in context. But with a name like Jagged Stone as her example, who could blame her for choosing a name equally eccentric?_

_Apparently he was famous, and it was Anarka’s fault she’s never heard of him. Anarka had literally been living under a giant rock leading to the Couffaine catacombs._

_Wildly, he told her stories of his travels and how big this world really was. Showing off his magic, he told her he could fend for himself. With bravado, he aimed his pipa guitar and shot out green smoke._

_Laughter rang up from her belly, his control of magic was flimsy. He had the showmanship, but no bite. “You’re rubbish!”_

_Abashed, he scratched his head. “Eh, I guess I really have to thank you back there. I’m quite an impressive magic user myself. But…eh, those witches were a bit out of my league, if you know what I mean.”_

_“No big deal.” Honestly, Anarka could blame it on her youth compared to the other witches, but she wasn’t really ready to kill anyone. All her sisters had killed and made blood sacrifices as soon as they turned sixteen. So no, she couldn’t really hide behind her age. Maybe, she just wasn’t meant to be a witch in the first place._

_Fantasizing about leaving the dark, musky catacombs had been a frequent pastime of hers lately. But no matter how many times she played it out in her head, it didn’t work out. Her coven sisters were all she had. What would she be without them? How would she ever survive without their guidance?_

_Coughing into her fist, she said, “Uhm, actually, I can’t go back to my sisters now, because of you! That means you have to take responsibility for me, okay? From now on, you’ll be my guide.”_

_Smirking at the witch, he said, “We’ll be partners.”_

_“Partners.” She whispered. She’d liked that._

o.o

_Lovely was what she was. She had green-blonde hair from living in the catacombs for so long. Her eyes were large and an alarming icy blue. Buxomy, and round in all the right places, she was adorable and feminine. And naturally, he fell for her looks._

_After a year of travels, she became his lover. Soon, they had a son. And then, she fell pregnant again._

_Anarka fell in love with all Jagged was. Flaws and all. She loved that, even though he wasn’t a particularly skilled wizard, he made up for his weaknesses in showmanship. He’d always put a positive spin on things. She loved the shows and music he would put on. The showboat was their home. From city to village, they would travel and put on enchanting performances. They were happy and they made other people happy._

_He would compliment and encourage her singing. Through him, she learned how to make music and love. He was her world._

_It was bliss._

o.o

_Saving his life had bought them together. Ironically, saving his life again would break them apart._

_As she broke down the equipment from the night’s performance, thieves had attacked her Jagged. They stole his money and had broken his ribs. She heard him cry out that night. Quickly, she came and teleported Luka and Jagged back to the boat._

_His broken ribs had punctured his left lung and he was at the brink of death. Breathing in gasps, his eyes were wide. His body was drenched with sweat and bruises from the trauma._

_Moth to a flame, she would always choose him._

_She chose him over her coven._

_She chose him over herself._

_Anarka was pregnant, so, she couldn’t use her core reserves—that would harm the baby in her womb. So she drew up magic from her shell to heal him. The more his breathing eased, the uglier her skin got._

_He was still weak, but alive. So, she finally slepted that night._

_Drained of her energy and glow, she forgot to feed Luka._

_In the morning, Jagged climbed out of bed and found a hag had lied next to him. Her hair was grey as ash, and her face wrinkled. Looking more closely, he could make out the same high cheekbones, the sharp beaked-nose, and cupid-bowed lips. It was his wife. At two decades old, she looked as if five decades had passed her by._

o.o

_“It’s okay Jagged,” she said patiently, “we don’t have to do this.”_

_Ashamed, he drew himself from her. Then, he said, “Anarky, love, do you think your youth will come back? You know? When your magic comes back?”_

_Smiling at him, she lied. “Yes, definitely, it’ll come back. It’ll take some time…maybe a year…”_

_She dressed herself, and covered up her wrinkled form. Braiding back her hair, she glanced quickly at the mirror. Once a fearless woman, Anarka felt neither brave or a womanly anymore. She avoided mirrors whenever she could. Sometimes she forgets what she used to look like. And deep down, she had a feeling Jagged was beginning to forget too._

_Surely it was wrong to lie. Perhaps if she felt braver, she would just tell him the truth. She would always look like this. There are spells that could temporarily change her appearance. When her shell energy returns, she can hold up temporary appearances. But this is her form from now on._

_She could find out to what extent his love stretched. But right now, she didn’t need to know. With Luka and Juleka just being babies. She needed him to stay. So she lied._

o.o

_Teaching Jagged how to use magic to better defend himself proved frustrating. He lacked focus. But it was necessary. Anarka was still recovering her magic. She was too weak to defend their family._

_The entire family were Auras. They had magic coursing through them, whether or not they were in direct contact with sacred items. Jagged and their babies had low amount of energy. But that didn’t matter to Poachers. They could attack anytime, kill off the whole family, and drain their magic._

_Patiently, she taught him._

o.o

_A year passed and Luka was waddling in places he didn’t belong. Juleka began to fatten up and crawl. They were just so adorable! Luka would try to nurse his sister with a bottle of milk. Anarka memorized and fell in love with their little antics. They were so precious. Even their annoying late night cries were precious. She was lucky, she considered. She had one boy and one girl. One of each gender. They were different, and she would get her hand at raising one of each. Little things made her happy these days._

_Romance between Anarka and Jagged had died. But she spoke to village women, and apparently, that was normal after having children. Besides, they were a family now. They would stick together._

_Anarka stopped fixating on her looks and focused on the children. She grieved less about what she could not do. And she spent time on improving what she could do. She focused on learning how to cook, wash clothes, fish, catch small animals, and grow herbs on the boat more efficiently. With her magic energy reserves so low, she could no longer waste magic on speeding up chores. Once upon a time, dinner would cook itself with a snap of her fingers. Say a chant and the clothes would be clean. Well, those days were gone._

_With training, Jagged was now the better magic user. Mostly because his reserves had more energy than hers. He did small favors like help heal a broken leg, or using magic to remove a large boulder from the main roads. Little favors helped pay for their rice and bread. He brought home the money. She got used to him being away for long periods of time, while she stayed on the boat and watched the babes._

_One day, Anarka and Jagged went out shopping at the farmer’s markets, children in tow. At first, she was embarrassed when people thought she was Jagged’s mother, but now she was used to the comments. However, this was new._

_“Jagged Stone! Can I have your autograph!”_

_“You’re my hero Jagged!”_

_A hoard of young women swarmed her husband. They were draping their arms around him. They were placing kisses on his cheek!_

_“Stop!” The little witch screeched._

_Young, beautiful faces gazed back at her. “Is that your mom, Jagged?”_

_“She…she’s a family member.” Pushing the women off of him, Jagged said, “Look, ladies, this isn’t appropriate.”_

_Jagged grabbed their groceries and went home._

o.o

_From there, it only got worst. Jagged loved fine music, women, and wine. And he left her._

_Crying on the floor of her boat, Anarka leaned her head against the wall._

_Why was the world such a lonely place?_

_She should have stayed in the coven._

_She should have killed him._

_She should have killed him for causing her so much grief!_

_Suddenly, a the fairy godmother visited her, Befana. Befana was a Couffaine witch gone rogue._

_“Darling, darling. Now there, there.”_

_Anarka sobbed into Befana's shoulders. “Befana? Why are you here?”_

_“To help you dear.”_

_Anarka turned her head to her children. She was going to need all the help she could get._

_“How?”_

_“Your problem has a very easy fix. You’re a good witch. A sharp witch.”_

_Befana mused playfully in a sing-song voice._

_“Really, you can be young, beautiful, and powerful again. All you have to do is sacrifice that so-called husband of yours. What is his now, can be all yours.”_

_Anarka’s eyes narrowed. “And what do you get out of it?”_

_“Well, I just want a small cut of his energy. You don’t have the strength to kill him right now. So it’s a win-win.” Befana reasoned._

_Desperate and depressed, the idea sounded sweet to her ears._ **Until Luka screamed.** _Reflexively, she scooped him up and bounced him softly in her arms. Was he soiled? Was he hungry?_

_What would he think of a mother that killed off his father? What kind of burdensome life would he live if he knew?_

_“Get out, Befana.” Anarka said._

_Those were brave words coming from a witch who could barely defend herself. Anarka braced herself._

o.o

AN: Sorry I basically made Anarka, Luka, and Juleka witches, but the aesthetic is too strong! I couldn't resist.


	3. Trapping a Field Mouse

Stealthily, he waited for the deer to step forward from behind the boulder. Firing the arrow from his yew wood bow, he shot directly at the back of the creature’s neck. Dropping soundly to the ground, the deer fell in the early dawn.

Luka climbed down from his perch in the tree. Gently, he placed his hands on the pulseless beast. After cleaning the animal of blood and organs, he summoned his energy, his Qi. Raw cold power coursed through his fingers and froze the meat of the deer. Frost coated his gift for Anarka and Juleka.

o.o

Branches crackled under her feet as she ran amongst the ginkgo trees. Master Fu had advised her not to marry him. But she still wanted to say goodbye. The boat house that the Couffaines lived in was docked in the alcove of the lagoon.

Knocking on the molded wooden door, she stood still and anxious. _Maybe he’s already left._

Creaking as it opened, his aqua blue eyes looked back at her questioningly. “Marinette?”

“Uhm, Luka. I-I just wanted to say goodbye.”

He nodded. “Do you want to come in for tea?”

Inside, the abode was cozy. A small fire was lit and a black cast iron kettle dangled above the flames. Dry fish and herbs hung from the ceiling. And the boat swayed lightly along with the lake tides.

Amusement graced his features. “This doesn’t have to be goodbye, you could come with me to the palace.”

She had to be careful, Luka could be—persuasive.

“I-I haven’t even finished my apprenticeship. I care for you Luka. But I need time. I like it here in Pingdu. Sewing costumes for the troupe. Learning how to heal people from Master Fu. Where else would I have this mentorship?” Marinettte waved her fingers as she spoke.

His sharp chin tilted forward in acknowledgement. But his fingers stroked her hair, it felt soothing to her, “I see. Then, do you want me to come back next year?”

Wise aqua eyes bore into hers. He was giving her a second chance.

“Yes.”

o.o

Dragging out her stay at the Couffaine’s household, she probed about his music that he was writing in for the palace.

Luka was a musician, but his best songs were stories. She’s seen him captivate a whole village with just a two-string shamisen and a legend. People would throw coins in front of him to continue his story. Like a tapestry, he would illustrate the excitement and adventure of two heroes fighting on the moon or a maiden running off with her lover.

Luring her with his story, he told her of his small room in the palace. He knew what she loved. She was an artist and a creator. Luxury and beauty flowed from her fashion and paintings. In the palace, the costumes were even more extravagant than the ones she fixed at the opera house. Tulle and silk and ribbons flowed from dancers’ as if they were goddesses on earth. The food and wine was always decadent and rich. He told her of a world of wonder and mystery. And she yearned for a moment.

Suddenly, her nose scrunched at a passing thought. Confused, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Are all the women really that pretty in the palace. ‘Like goddesses on earth?’ Luka?” Her round benevolent face was now scowling.

She was jealous.

“Yes, Marinette.” Luka said teasingly. “It’s exactly like that. One more pretty than the next.”

Muttering under her breath, Marinette said something sassy along the lines of “why don’t you marry them then?”

Playfully, he nudged his shoulder against hers, “What was that? I couldn’t hear you.”

“I said your stories need improvement.” Quipping quickly, her wit nipped at him. She turned away from him as her face blushed red.

Crinkling his eyes, he guffawed.

o.o


End file.
